This invention relates to lighting system for a passenger area of a mass transit vehicle.
This application is related to a series of four further applications all filed simultaneously with this application and assigned to the same assignee as follows:
application Ser. No. 09/496,686 filed Feb. 3, 2000 and entitled Interior Structure of a Mass Transit Vehicle;
application Ser. No. 09/497,633 filed Feb. 3, 2000 and entitled Side Impact Structure for Mass Transit Vehicle;
application Ser. No. 09/496,684 filed Feb. 3, 2000 and entitled Body Structure of Mass Transit Vehicle;
application Ser. No. 09/496,685 filed Feb. 3, 2000 and entitled Window Structure for Mass Transit Vehicle.
The disclosures of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference.
Public transit vehicles particularly buses also including subway carriages generally provide a row of seats along each side of the vehicle and an aisle centrally of the vehicle. A lighting strip is positioned above the row of seats and generally there is an inclined advertising card receiving panel extending from the outside edge of the lighting downwardly toward the window. In many cases the lighting co-operates with or defines ductwork so as to communicate air conditioning to outlets adjacent to the top edge of the window for discharging downwardly onto the passengers in the row of seating.
It is generally accepted that the internal lighting in transit vehicles should provide the following features:
1. Deliver 15 foot candles of illumination to a 1 square foot plane at an angle of 45, centered 33 inches above the floor and 24 inches in front of the seat back at each seating position (sufficient for a seated passenger reading).
2. Illuminate the aisles, delivering no less than 10 foot candles.
3. Illuminate advertising displayed in the ad frames (which are usually associated with the lights or are lighted from behind, forming part of the lighting system).
4. Reduce or eliminate reflections of the light elements in the side windows which interfere with the passengers view of street signs and the like.
Transmatic Inc. of Michigan, U.S.A., is the leader in transit lighting systems and has over the years provided a number of different arrangements. Transmatic has recently introduced its new L20 Luminator lighting system. This system consists of a pultruded, crescent-shaped profile which forms the ad frame (into which slide the advertising placards) and also the support system for T12 fluorescent tubes, ballast, wiring, lens, and ventilator grilles, as well as forming the front wall of the heating and cooling system of the bus. The profile is connected along its top edge to the bus structure by means of a riveted, continuous hinge; captive fasteners along its bottom edge hold the profile in place. The entire assembly swings out for access to electrical components located in the space behind the lighting profile.
Transmatic hold the following patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 4.387,415xe2x80x94discloses a lighting system generally as described above including a unitized system formed from pultruded parts manufactured from fibre reinforced plastics material which defined the light housing and the advertising card support panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,336xe2x80x94discloses a similar system with a pivotal covering lens.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,267xe2x80x94discloses a central lighting system for a central ceiling area.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,006,966xe2x80x94discloses a lamp housing with a series of incandescent lights and an optical strip arranged in the housing alongside the incandescent lights for absorbing and re-transmitting the light in a diffused manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,322xe2x80x94is closely related to the above patent but discloses the further embodiment with a modified lamp housing and lens.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,914xe2x80x94discloses an illumination system for the cargo space of a truck box and provides a strip light in a corner of the truck box.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,326xe2x80x94discloses a lamp arrangement for use with a luggage rack.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,760xe2x80x94discloses an arrangement in which the lamp housing is moved from the normal position at the top of the advertisement card display panel to a position adjacent the lower edge of the panel at its junction with the window. This arrangement is manufactured and sold by Transmatic as the L20 system and constitutes their current system as of the present date.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,723xe2x80x94discloses a light engine, that is a light source for a light pipe for use in a vehicle lighting system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,758xe2x80x94discloses an arrangement substantially identical to that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,760 above.
A further feature which is necessary in transit vehicles is that of a signalling switch for actuation by the passenger to advise the driver of a desire to alight. In many cases the signalling switch is in the form of a cord dangled across the windows but more recent systems include a plurality of push buttons. Continuous strip switches are also known however these are not generally located in a suitable manner in conjunction with the lighting.
It is one object of the present invention, therefore, to provide an improved lighting system for a public transit vehicle.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a public transit vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body having a roof defining an interior ceiling surface, two side walls each extending longitudinally of the vehicle including an upper side wall portion connecting to the roof and a row of windows underneath the upper portion, a central aisle and two rows of seats each on a respective side of the aisle and along the side wall at the windows;
and a lighting fixture comprising:
an elongate light housing supported in the vehicle along the ceiling surface longitudinally of the vehicle at a position above one of the rows of seats;
elongate light emitting elements mounted in the light housing and extending longitudinally of the housing;
a covering lens mounted on the light housing underneath the light emitting elements for enclosing the light emitting elements;
wherein the light housing defines a reflector surface which has a main body portion which is parabolic in cross-section defining a parabola axis longitudinal of the lens and located above the light emitting elements and wherein the light emitting elements have an axis thereof located substantially at the parabola axis such that light emitted thereby toward the main body of the reflector surface is reflected downwardly through the lens.
Preferably the lens has first portions thereof which allow passage of the light therethrough and portions which are reflective to restrict passage of light therethrough to increase the amount of light passing through the first portions.
Preferably there is provided an elongate advertising card support panel member supported in the vehicle body longitudinally of the vehicle at a position above the row of seats and having an upper edge adjacent to the light housing and inclined therefrom downwardly and toward an upper edge of the row of windows.
Preferably the lens includes a generally flat substantially horizontal main body portion and an inclined portion which is inclined upwardly and outwardly along one edge adjacent the support panel for allowing light to fall onto the support panel.
Preferably the opaque portions extend longitudinally of the lens and are arranged to restrict the passage of light directly from the light emitting elements toward the window and toward the aisle.
Preferably the lens carries at least one upwardly projecting longitudinally extending fin on which is provided an opaque portion of the lens.
Preferably the lens comprises a substantially horizontal portion which carries on an upper surface thereof two upwardly projecting longitudinally extending fins each on a respective side of the light emitting elements on each of which is provided an opaque portion of the lens and each of which is located between the light emitting elements and a respective one of the window and the aisle, the horizontal portion of the lens on either side of the fins and between the fins being arranged to allow the passage of reflected light from the reflector.
Preferably one of the fins lying on the side adjacent the aisle is higher than that adjacent the window.
Preferably the reflective portion extends from the respective fin partly onto the main body portion.
Preferably the lens includes an integrally molded cylindrical hinge portion along one longitudinal edge which hinge portion is received in a cylindrical receptacle for rotation therein.
Preferably an opposed longitudinal edge includes an upturned flange portion fastened to a flange portion of the housing by a plurality of spaced fasteners.
Preferably wherein the housing comprises a substantially longitudinally continuous channel defining the reflector for a plurality of the lighting elements, wherein each lighting element comprises a tube having electrical connectors at each end, wherein between each tube and the next is provided a web member having two sides lying in a plane at right angles to the axis and having an inner edge at right angles to the sides abutting a lower surface of the housing and an outer edge at right angles to the sides abutting an upper surface of the cover.
Preferably the cover is divided into separate portions each having a length corresponding to that of a respective one of the tubes and the cover members have end portions thereof with the upper surface of the end portions lying in contact with the outer edge of respective ones of the web members.
Preferably the reflector includes a V-shaped portion extending longitudinally thereof substantially at a center thereof above the light elements with an apex of the V-shaped portion projecting downwardly toward the element and two sides of the V-shaped portion diverging outwardly and connecting with the main body portion.
Preferably the sides merge contiguously with the main body portion.
When the reflector is non-conductive the V-shaped portion preferably carries at the apex a ground wire for the lighting element.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a public transit vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body having a roof defining an interior ceiling surface, two side walls each extending longitudinally of the vehicle including an upper side wall portion connecting to the roof and a row of windows underneath the upper portion, a central aisle and two rows of seats each on a respective side of the aisle and along the side wall at the windows;
and a lighting fixture comprising:
an elongate light housing supported in the vehicle along the ceiling surface longitudinally of the vehicle at a position above one of the rows of seats;
elongate light emitting elements mounted in the light housing and extending longitudinally of the housing;
a covering lens mounted on the light housing underneath the light emitting elements for enclosing the light emitting elements;
wherein the light housing defines a reflector surface which has a main body portion;
wherein the housing comprises a substantially longitudinally continuous channel defining the reflector for a plurality of the lighting elements;
wherein each lighting element comprises a tube having electrical connectors at each end;
and wherein between each tube and the next is provided a web member lying in a plane at right angles to the axis and having an inner edge abutting the housing and an outer edge abutting the cover.
According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a public transit vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body having a roof defining an interior ceiling surface, two side walls each extending longitudinally of the vehicle including an upper side wall portion connecting to the roof and a row of windows underneath the upper portion, a central aisle and two rows of seats each on a respective side of the aisle and along the side wall at the windows;
and a lighting fixture comprising:
an elongate light housing supported in the vehicle along the ceiling surface longitudinally of the vehicle at a position above one of the rows of seats;
elongate light emitting elements mounted in the light housing and extending longitudinally of the housing;
a covering lens mounted on the light housing underneath the light emitting elements for enclosing the light emitting elements;
wherein the light housing defines a reflector surface which has a main body portion;
and wherein the reflector includes a V-shaped portion extending longitudinally thereof substantially at a center thereof above the light elements with an apex of the V-shaped portion projecting downwardly toward the element and two sides of the V-shaped portion diverging outwardly and connecting with the main body portion
According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a public transit vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body having a roof defining an interior ceiling surface, two side walls each extending longitudinally of the vehicle including an upper side wall portion connecting to the roof and a row of windows underneath the upper portion, a central aisle and two rows of seats each on a respective side of the aisle and along the side wall at the windows;
and a lighting fixture comprising:
an elongate light housing supported in the vehicle along the ceiling surface longitudinally of the vehicle at a position above the row of seats;
an elongate advertising card support panel member supported in the vehicle longitudinally of the vehicle at a position above the row of seats and having an upper edge adjacent to the light housing and inclined therefrom downwardly and toward an upper edge of the row of windows and having upper and lower receptacles for receiving and supporting an advertising card;
a plurality of light emitting elements mounted in the light housing;
a covering lens mounted on the light housing underneath the light emitting elements for enclosing the light emitting elements;
the card support panel member carrying adjacent the bottom receptacle thereof an elongate pressure switch strip operable at any point along its length for signalling the driver.
Preferably the card support panel includes a surface underneath the strip and extending therefrom toward the window such that the strip is supported by the support panel at a position spaced away from the window.